سُوْرَةُ فُصِّلَتۡ
Surah Fussilat (41) — Ayah 22
وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَسْتَتِرُونَ أَن يَشْهَدَ عَلَيْكُمْ سَمْعُكُمْ وَلَآ أَبْصَـٰرُكُمْ وَلَا جُلُودُكُمْ وَلَـٰكِن ظَنَنتُمْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَعْلَمُ كَثِيرًا مِّمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿22﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And you have not been hiding yourselves (in the world), lest your ears, and your eyes, and your skins should testify against you; but you thought that Allâh knew not much of what you were doing.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَمَا
wamā
And not
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you were
تَسْتَتِرُونَ
tastatirūna
covering yourselves
أَن
an
lest
يَشْهَدَ
yashhada
testify
عَلَيْكُمْ
ʿalaykum
against you
سَمْعُكُمْ
samʿukum
your hearing
وَلَآ
walā
and not
أَبْصَـٰرُكُمْ
abṣārukum
your sight
وَلَا
walā
and not
جُلُودُكُمْ
julūdukum
your skins
وَلَـٰكِن
walākin
but
ظَنَنتُمْ
ẓanantum
you assumed
أَنَّ
anna
that
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
لَا
lā
(does) not
يَعْلَمُ
yaʿlamu
know
كَثِيرًۭا
kathīran
much
مِّمَّا
mimmā
of what
تَعْمَلُونَ
taʿmalūna
you do
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
22. And you did not hide yourselves (while committing sins) lest your ears, your eyes, and your skins should testify against you [26]. Rather, you assumed that Allah did not know much of what you were doing [27].
[26] That is, it could not even have crossed your mind that those who would testify against us could be our own limbs. Therefore, there is a need to beware of them as well. If you had thought of this, then it would have been impossible for you to commit sin. Because neither could you hide from your own limbs, nor could you hide the sin from them. Nor could you commit a sinful act without them.
[27]
The Result of Doubting Allah’s Attributes of Being All-Hearing and All-Seeing: Evil Deeds:
The matter was not only that you did not know that our limbs could testify against us. Rather, you also denied the knowledge of Allah Almighty. If you had believed with certainty that whatever we do, Allah is watching it, or He is hearing our words, or He is fully aware of our conditions, then even then it would not have been possible for you to commit sin. Your conviction regarding Allah was also extremely weak regarding the fact that He is fully aware of all your conditions. Thus, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud ؓ says that once, in the Haram of Ka’bah, three men were sitting and talking among themselves. Two of them were Qurayshi and one was their brother-in-law, who was Thaqafi. All three were quite stout, with protruding bellies, but were completely lacking in sense. One of them asked the other: What do you think, can Allah hear our conversations? The second replied: Yes! If we speak loudly, then He hears. But if we speak softly, in whispers, then He does not hear. The third said: If He can hear loud voices, then He can also hear soft voices. At that moment, this verse was revealed. [بخاری۔ کتاب التفسیر۔ تفسیر سورۃ حٰم السجدۃ]
[26] That is, it could not even have crossed your mind that those who would testify against us could be our own limbs. Therefore, there is a need to beware of them as well. If you had thought of this, then it would have been impossible for you to commit sin. Because neither could you hide from your own limbs, nor could you hide the sin from them. Nor could you commit a sinful act without them.
[27]
The Result of Doubting Allah’s Attributes of Being All-Hearing and All-Seeing: Evil Deeds:
The matter was not only that you did not know that our limbs could testify against us. Rather, you also denied the knowledge of Allah Almighty. If you had believed with certainty that whatever we do, Allah is watching it, or He is hearing our words, or He is fully aware of our conditions, then even then it would not have been possible for you to commit sin. Your conviction regarding Allah was also extremely weak regarding the fact that He is fully aware of all your conditions. Thus, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud ؓ says that once, in the Haram of Ka’bah, three men were sitting and talking among themselves. Two of them were Qurayshi and one was their brother-in-law, who was Thaqafi. All three were quite stout, with protruding bellies, but were completely lacking in sense. One of them asked the other: What do you think, can Allah hear our conversations? The second replied: Yes! If we speak loudly, then He hears. But if we speak softly, in whispers, then He does not hear. The third said: If He can hear loud voices, then He can also hear soft voices. At that moment, this verse was revealed. [بخاری۔ کتاب التفسیر۔ تفسیر سورۃ حٰم السجدۃ]
